Gaius Lestrade
Gaius Lestrade is an ex-Knight turned mercenary under the employment of Cedric Gallows. He is one of the five individuals known as The Saviours, responsible for defeating Zaikerik the Betrayer. He is the partner of the Fae Spirit Animal known as Sentinel, and member of the Dark Monks. Physical Description Gaius Lestrade stands at an impressive 6"6', with short black hair pushed up at the front. He is well tanned from his time in Izir and continued years of activity outside, and his eyes are an emerald green. He keeps himself clean shaven and tidy, but looking closely one could observe the years of fighting and hardship on his features. He wears it well, not appearing a tired old soldier, but a stalwart protector who carries his duty with pride. He is well-built, with the muscles to bend steel and lift men with ease. His left arm is now well built up with slowly growing dark magical tattoos up to his wrist, where it meets a miracle of mechanics. A robotic hand almost imperceptibly clicks and clinks there, a replacement for the hand he lost. The casing bears the same bronze as his armour. Around the joint, the angry scars of fourth degree burns remain, though they smoulder no longer, and are almost covered by the tattoos. At the start of the Legends of Tyrrus, Gaius wore a suit of plate armour that had seen better days. Despite obvious care being paid to its maintenance, the life of an itinerant mercenary did not leave him the funds to repair every chip and dent. Each blemish in the armour told a story of a battle fought and won. Most noticeable was the large chink in the helmet's visor slit where he almost lost an eye to a cunning strike. His weapon was a greatsword, with a hilt and crossguard as worn as the armour. The blade however, was kept as close to perfect as a sword of its age and use could be, with not a spot of rust on it. As a member of the Dark Monks, Gaius did not abandon his heavy armour. After the passing of General Talon Austermark, Gaius acquired the armour and had it reforged several times. He commissioned a layer of galvanised Haltalloy to be added, as well as the armour stained slightly to give it a dark purple, almost black sheen. Two bears roar on his shoulderpads rendered in bronze, and a third on his helmet. A cloth mantle of matching colours falls from his back. In later years, Gaius would have to abandon his heavy armour. Use of Absolution's magic had drained his draw physical strength. His frame remains powerful, but he is more lithe and bears the well-toned muscles of a gymnast than the raw mass of a bodybuilder. Before its destruction, Gaius wielded the mighty greatsword Absolution. Dark red striations ran through the blade, with a crossguard forged into the shape of a dragon and a pommel depicting a dragon's head. An aura of danger resonated from the blade, a promise of destruction to any foolish enough to challenge its wielder. Now Gaius wields a new longsword by the name of Redemption. It is the weapon of a hero, a scintillating silver blade, magical runes carved up both sides of the blade up a third of its length, glowing with power. The sword is a perfect fit for Gaius, made to his measurements and specifications. It has a sizeable pommel serving the dual purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the blade and making an effective weapon to strike the enemy with, whether it is to beat through heavy armour or render foes unconscious with a strike. He also possess a Dark Monk quarterstaff crackling with Dark magic for when subtlety outweighs the need for force. Personality Gaius Lestrade modelled himself on the ideals of chivalry and honour as a young man, aspiring to be one of the greatest knights in the realm in line with Whytehold tradition. He was polite, respectful, a little prideful, and conducted himself with utmost honour and decency. He was a fine fit for a Knight. However, behind all of this, Gaius did have certain weaknesses of character, particularly with regard to his promiscuity. Despite knowing when it was a bad idea, he found it difficult to resist temptations of the flesh, and often placed the fault primarily with the other party rather than accepting responsibility for it. This was the cause of his entanglement with Beatrix, and his banishment from Aldin's Rock. After this, Gaius became a rougher type. With his ideals of knighthood in tatters, he was filled with a deep sense of shame and aimlessness. As a mercenary, he was loyal and effective, willing to kill on command in most situations. He developed an understanding for the common man, living rough between jobs as a migrant sword for hire. He held some principle, but was willing to resort to any means to claim victory in the name of his client. While he preferred straight and clean combat, if it was necessary to perform surprise attacks that would be considered thoroughly dishonourable by knightly metrics he would show no hesitation in doing so. Despite falling far from knighthood, he regretted how far he had fallen and quietly hoped for a chance of redemption. His dismemberment during the Whytehold revolution cemented those feelings of inadequacy and regret. Without the ability to fight properly, he felt worse than ever, for fighting was all he had. By the end of the Legends of Tyrrus, Gaius had fully self-actualised. His disillusionment with knighthood was forged into a personal code that adhered to the spirit of chivalry as he realised that being a knight was more than the title and the honours. Many knights of Whytehold had failed in his eyes by bowing before Nicovid von Karstein's tyranny by refusing to act. He vowed never to stand idly by, even when his fellows did nothing. He turned to the worship of the Dark God Dakana who helped him move past his shame and regret, manifesting a Dark Hand that allowed him to fight again. Gaius is a man who ultimately cares about the people around him, even strangers. He will not stand to see innocents suffer, nor kill a living being unless it is absolutely cannot be avoided. If another way exists, he will try to find it. Even as a mercenary, Gaius was protective of his charges and his team, particularly Cedric Gallows to whom he acted as an older sibling and occasional mentor. He is honest and straightforward in his interactions, and prefers to avoid meaningless word games. He has a soldier's sense of humour and gruffness, though has since moved past the fatalistic tendencies of those in the profession. Gaius is unafraid of emotion or expressing himself. While none too distant from the masculine ideal, his experiences have reminded him of the importance of being in touch with one's emotions and true self behind outward pretence. Background Gaius Lestrade is the son of Marcus and Anna Lestrade. The Lestrade family are low level nobility in Whytehold, holding no particularly significant lands, owning a manor in the region of Adlin's Rock. Gaius grew up alongside a brother and sister (Francis and Elizabeth), being the eldest of the three of them. He had a very close connection with his father who was a squire to Matthias Frankwin of Aldin's Rock although he was never quite able to become knighted. Gaius was instilled with his father's dream of becoming a true note and was given a great deal of encouragement when training to become a knight. The money for his training when he was younger actually came from their connection to the Venger family through Gaius' mother, who somewhat sponsored his training. From the early age of eight he began to take swordsmanship classes. While no childhood prodigy, he was certainly quite competent and soon began entering tournaments between young squires where his natural talent for enduring punishment as well as his incredible height and accompanying strength allowed him to take victory after victory, even against some of the more skilled of his peers. By well into his teens he was using far larger weapons than most other squires at the time, much to the pride of his family. His performance gained him some attention in the area where he lived and Lord Frankwin took note of the son of one of his oldest and most loyal squires. Eventually, Matthias Frankwin himself began to sponsor him. Soon he was invited to stay at the castle of Aldrin's Rock itself to train with the Lord's own son, Oscar and receive some more in-depth training. Such a connection would be most useful in climbing the social ladder in Whytehold and his parents had high hopes for their son, who believed that he would be able to elevate the Lestrade family to a higher status than the low one they currently held. Gaius trained alongside Matthias' son Oscar while at Aldrin's Rock and the two developed an easy friendship, and the two complemented each other quite nicely. Gaius was far taller and broader than the more willow-like and elegant Oscar Frankwin. At the age of eighteen, Gaius was officially knighted by Lord Frankwin. His family hosted a fairly grand celebration in recognition of the achievement and at that point, things seemed to be looking up for the Lestrade family. However, this was also where Beatrix Everise entered both his and Oscar's lives causing the incident that led to his ostracism from the high society of Whytehold. At the celebration, Gaius received advances from Beatrix and at the time, he offered little resistance and returned them. However, Oscar appeared and also expressed interest in her. The newly appointed knight felt an obligation to Oscar and the Frankwin family for what they had done for him, and so stepped back and moved on. He held no particular love for her, so he moved on with ease and spent some time courting other ladies of his age who attended. As he was the new Knight around, he received plenty of affection from people coming to meet him and see the latest rising star. He eventually decided to settle on one Claudia Goodwin and decided that she would be the focus of his courtship. After the party, letters were exchanged and the relationship continued through the next year until things took a turn for the worse for him. A year later, a marriage between Beatrix and Oscar took place. Gaius, who was still residing at Aldrin's Rock, attended the wedding. Unfortunately for him, it seemed that Beatrix had not forgotten the celebration of his knighting and while Oscar was distracted she made further advances. He deflected her, but she was not yet done with him. Over the next few weeks and months she pressured the young knight and backed him into a corner, threatening to tell Oscar about the discreet meetings that she had paid to him. He knew that his friend would be mortified to find out about it, and that he would likely take her words over his. As such, Gaius reluctantly agreed to conducting the affair with a constant fear in his heart. Despite his attempts, he could not dissuade her and with the threat of her husband at hand, there was little that he could do. As to be expected, he was discovered. Oscar was furious and Gaius attempted to plead with his friend but to no avail. The news was soon reported to Matthias who Gaius was also unable to dissuade. He was put temporarily into the cells of Aldrin's Rock along with all of his possessions where he was to reside for a couple of days. However, in a fit of anger at the injustice and the fact that nobody seemed to believe him, he challenged Oscar to a duel so that they could settle the issue on the duelling ground under the eyes of the Father, the logic being that the just party would win. Oscar refused, however the news of this never got out of Aldrin's Rock. The son failing, Gaius angrily challenged the father instead. Matthias Frankwin met Gaius Lestrade on the duelling ground. As they stood there, facing each other waiting for the duel to begin, he regretted the decision to challenge the man who had given him everything. He knew that no matter what happened there, he would never be able to escape the insidious rumours and it would have taken years to recover his reputation. Claudia was also devastated. She appeared at the duelling ground and glared at Gaius the whole time. His family was there in full force to witness either his redemption or his fall. He did the best he could steel himself, knowing that there was nothing else to do but fight the duel. The bell rung to signal the start, and Gaius lost. He left Aldrin's Rock the very same day and fled Whytehold, heading for western Tyrrus and refused to return there. For another thirteen years, Gaius drifted from town to town, city to city and worked as a mercenary. He accompanied trade caravans and chauffeured lords around on their daily business. The most he could do was afford to keep his equipment in good condition and afford his lodgings in cheap inns. He made appearances at the Grand Tournaments in Eredan when they were hosted, but mostly kept to himself and did not place highly. During this period, he received a letter from a certain Midad Gallows, requesting the services of a stalwart mercenary to escort his son to the Academy in Haven. This is where he first met Cedric Gallows, and found a regular source of employ, running guard duty for the Gallows when needed. He had built up a reputation for reliability which allowed him to find work fairly easily. Gaius entered the Grand Tournament of 2015 where by a poor twist of fate, he fought against Oscar Frankwin. While he was aware that he competed in the tournaments, he had deliberately avoided him as best he could to avoid potential drama. There was no such luck this year. Oscar had received dedicated training and had been competing for several years prior whereas Gaius never completed his formal training but had more real-life experience than his old friend. The match reminded those in Whytehold of the incident that had taken place some eleven years prior, and Oscar had not let go of the grudge. The dishonoured knight did everything that he could to remain neutral and civil during the match, but he did not plan on surrendering. The fighters circled each other, Oscar verbally jabbing Gaius who remained resolute and did not give in. He had learned his lesson about rashness from the duel against Matthias and later incidents in his time as mercenary. His lack of reaction infuriated his opponent who attacked savagely. Gaius' cool allowed him to gain the advantage over his opponent and brought him down. Later that day, Oscar found Gaius near one of the food stalls in his armour. The other man was not as well equipped and furiously accused him of cheating and began to stir trouble. This would not have been a particular issue, except for the presence of Beatrix. After questioning her presence and calling her a snake, Oscar pulled his dagger. His life now in danger, he gave Oscar no mercy. He snapped his arm and slammed his head against a stone wall, knocking him unconscious with a bad head injury. While this time, witnesses attested to Gaius defending himself, he was disqualified from the tournament. Moments later, the undead began to swarm into the tournament grounds through the portal created by Sir Zeylin. Gaius picked up his sword and helped resist the invasion and bore witness to the Storm Dragon that had been summoned by an unknown party. After the defeat of the invasion, he slipped away back into anonymity until 20.15 when the Legends of Tyrrus began. He received another letter from the Gallows family, this time promising a longer term contract. He would accompany Cedric for an unspecified period of time and provide protection and necessary muscle for as long as he was adventuring. Seeing the opportunity for consistent work, and having some fondness for the family, Gaius duly accepted. Unbeknown to him at the time, this would be the start of the adventure that changed his life. During the Legends of Tyrrus, Gaius acted as one of the supporting pillars of The Saviours. He and Bartholomaus Steiner were the two individuals who kept the team together, as they caused the fewest disputes. Unlike Steiner, Gaius had some friendship with Kevin Valentine, certainly more than others in the group. In this way, he was able to hold the group together despite the fractious relationship between the Varewyn noble and Cedric. During their adventures in Izir, Gaius' life began to change after encountering the Spirit Animal Sentinel in the tomb of an ancient Iziri King. After passing trials that harkened back to his days of chivalry, he was granted a companion that guided him back on to the path of honour. Sentinel's influence, along with the presence of a young woman who was revealed to be Queen Victoriana Dragoncrest, resurrected the memories of knighthood he had buried. Upon returning to Tyrrus and completing the contract, he set about rebuilding his reputation as a man of repute. He built a small keep by the name of Fort Sentinel near Telmont and began to return to knightly society. A second dishonour at the hands of Raven Blackflame, and persecution by the extremist Lightguard set back his progress. When The Saviours turned their attention to Whytehold, Gaius faced the culture that had cast him aside. He resolved to save Whytehold from tyranny, and restore the true path of honour that the city had lost. Nicovid's extreme views overpowered the sensibilities of much of Whytehold's knightly caste. Seeing this cemented the idea that knighthood went beyond titles, and as the adventure progressed he realised that he cared less and less for the pretence. During this time he began a romance with a member of the Lightguard named Wolfgang. This flame continued for the remainder of the adventure, though became more difficult after Gaius formally joined the Dark Monks. He had already turned to the worship of Dakana as a way of healing his wounded pride, and overcoming the loss of his hand during an attempt to locate a missing Cedric and an incarceration in the Whytehold dungeons. Joining the Dark Monks was a better choice than knighthood for him. He was more concerned by that point with the doing of useful deeds than titles and glory. He trained with the Monks for a time, with his mentor Vaskellon honing his talents. He took to his new lessons well, even throwing the old Dragonkin into the cells of the Monastery much to the latter's amusement. He was instrumental in repelling Sir Zeylin's assault on the Monastery, destroying many Black Legionnaires using Absolution and even slaying the man himself with the assistance of the Faceless Guardian. After the defeat of Zaikerik the Betrayer, Gaius turned his attention to the Dark Monks more fully. He developed his magical abilities, while learning a new style of fighting to compensate for the physical toll of using Absolution. He maintained some connection with the other Saviours and people he met during his adventures. His romance with Wolfgang fell apart due to both of them being sworn to greater duties and lacking the time for each other. There was a continuing fondness between them, and Gaius was pleased to see his ex-partner when fortune placed them together. He also maintained a connection with Victoriana Dragoncrest, who he had done his best to support during their time in Izir and her efforts in coping with the presence of the Unspeakable Ones in her mind. They wrote, and he provided occasional advice and the magical expertise of the Dark Monks where needed. Perhaps more importantly, he was separate from the politics of the Court, and was a much needed source of frank conversation. Skills and Abilities Gaius is a highly competent warrior, not just in terms of raw combat skill but also in tactical and strategic knowledge. He was one of the leading figures in the battle plan for the Siege of Alatheen, and otherwise provided insight in tactics during The Saviours' operations. His talent for swordsmanship and physical combat were much more impressive, allowing him to stand victorious against Black Legionnaires and withstanding the frontline of battle. In his armour, Gaius seemed almost invincible, never allowing himself to be slowed down by wounds or fatigue. When his swordsmanship failed him, a knowledge of Whytehold martial arts filled the gap and allowed him to outmanoeuvre fighters whose swordplay outmatched his own, His worship of Dakana also granted him the ability to manifest a Dark Hand on his left arm. This hand allowed him to continue fighting using his two-handed sword style. It also imbues his strikes with Dark magical energy. Gaius also has a connection with the Fae via Sentinel, his bear spirit companion. This bolstered his mental reserves. He has been known to use his connection with Sentinel to enter the mind of Cedric Gallows to drive off the Unspeakable Ones, though the extent of this power is unclear.